Johan Gadolin
| Johan Gadolin | |
|---|---|
Johan Gadolin
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| Born |
5 June 1760 Turku |
| Died | 15 August 1852 (aged 92) Mynämäki |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Known for | Yttrium |
Johan Gadolin (5 June 1760 – 15 August 1852) was a Finnish chemist, physicist and mineralogist. Gadolin discovered a "new earth" containing the first rare earth compound yttrium, which was later determined to be a chemical element. He is also considered the founder of Finnish chemistry research, as the second holder of the Chair of Chemistry at the Royal Academy of Turku (or Åbo Kungliga Akademi). Gadolin was knighted three times.
Johan Gadolin was born in Åbo (Finnish name Turku), Finland (then a part of Sweden). Johan was the son of Jakob Gadolin, professor of physics and theology at Åbo. Johan began to study mathematics at the Royal Academy of Turku (Åbo Kungliga Akademi) when he was fifteen. Later he changed his major to chemistry, studying with Pehr Adrian Gadd, the first chair of chemistry at Åbo.
In 1779 Gadolin moved to Uppsala University, publishing his dissertation Dissertatio chemica de analysi ferri (1781) on the analysis of iron under the direction of Torbern Bergman. Bergman founded an important research school, and many of his students, including Gadolin, Johan Gottlieb Gahn and Carl Wilhelm Scheele, became close friends.
Gadolin was fluent in Latin, Finnish, Russian, German, English and French in addition to his native Swedish. He was a candidate for the chair of chemistry at Uppsala in 1784, but Johann Afzelius was selected instead. Gadolin become an extraordinary professor at Åbo in 1785 (an unpaid position). Beginning in 1786, he made a chemical "grand tour" of Europe, visiting universities and mines in various countries. He worked with Lorenz Crell, editor of the journal Chemische Annalen in Germany, and with Adair Crawford and Richard Kirwan in Ireland.
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